4o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 18 
THE 
The Rural New=Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850. Copyrighted 1895. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Cbief. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10*4 francs. 
ADVERTISING KATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.,” 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only 
Advertisements Inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office and State, and what the remittance is for, appear in every 
letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest 
means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay- 
able 10 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets. New York. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1896. 
ROOKS GIVEN AWAY! 
The following* books are all first-class—the best of 
anything in their line : 
Cloth. Price. 
The Nursery Book. “ $1.00 
First Lessons in Agriculture. “ 1.00 
American Grape Training. “ .75 
The New Potato Culture. “ .75 
The Business Hen. “ .75 
Do you want your choice of these books ? Send us 
one new subscription (not your own), with one dollar, 
and we will send you, prepaid any one of the above 
five books you see tit to pick out. Can you possibly 
obtain better pay for doing your neighbor the favor 
and kindness of introducing hitn to 80S pages of good 
reading matter? No! You take the book, your 
neighbor takes the paper, and we take the dollar. 
You pull the wires that produce this result. 
© 
In his account of growing “ straw potatoes,” page 
34, Mr. Miller speaks of making the rows three feet 
two inches apart. In soils where the vines grow 5% 
feet long, as his did, this may be a good distance. 
But we are inclined to believe that, on drier soils, 
closer planting would be preferable. What is the 
best distance, anyway—all things considered ? 
O 
Most of the papers have printed an article advocat¬ 
ing the use of Holstein bulls on Jersey cows. Copies 
of this article were evidently sent to all the papers, 
and the editors used it as entirely original matter. 
It was well written and forcible, but struck The R. 
N.-Y. as merely a skillful attempt to “boom” the 
Holsteins. That is all well enough, but when the 
same article appears, word for word, in a dozen differ¬ 
ent papers, we think that the average reader will find 
it a trifle stale. As to the general proposition of the 
wisdom of crossing these two breeds, the notes printed 
on page 46, will let a little light into the subject. 
Both breeds are strongly prepotent with opposite char¬ 
acteristics, so, as Ex-Gov. Hoard suggests, the chances 
for a good “nick” are not so good as with other breeds. 
© 
According to the laws of New York State, the rail¬ 
roads inside the State limits are obliged to sell 1,000 
mile books or passes at the rate of two cents a mile. 
That is to say, by paying $20, a person has the right 
to secure transportation for 1,000 miles over the road, 
in one trip or 100, as he sees fit. The intent of those 
who framed the law was to benefit the public, the 
idea being that a wholesale rate would encourage 
people to travel more and give the roads less trouble. 
While this was intended as a public benefit, certain of 
the roads have apparently done all they could to make 
it difficult to obtain these books. For example, they 
limit the number of offices at which the books can be 
bought. A friend of ours wished to buy one, and had 
to wait until it was sent back from the main office. 
When it did come, it was made out in such a way that 
only the person buying it was qualified to use it. It 
also required the holder to buy a ticket before enter¬ 
ing a train, using the coupons in the book in place of 
money. The whole idea of it was to attempt to com¬ 
ply with the law, yet make the conditions such that 
few people would buy the books. The Erie Railroad 
has been prominent in this selfish business. We are 
glad to see that the State Board of Railroad Commis¬ 
sioners have investigated this matter, and decided *hat 
these railroads are not complying with the law. The 
present legislature should overhaul the law, if need 
i>e, and leave it in such shape that these 1,000-mile 
books may be purchased at any station, and be used 
by any member of the family. It is a foolish and 
short sighted policy on the part of these railroads to 
try to kill off this wholesale ticket business. There 
are thousands of farmers in the State who would make 
frequent use of these books if they could buy them 
handily, and use them for all members of their fami¬ 
lies. The increase of traffic from this source would 
far more than make up the difference between the 
1 ,000-mile rate and the retail price. It is a singular 
thing that the law must be invoked to show railroads 
how to increase their business ; but it seems to be 
necessary in this ease. 
a 
The President of the Connecticut Sheep Breeders’ 
Association felt obliged to make the following state¬ 
ment at the last meeting of the State Board of Agri¬ 
culture : 
I am not the owner of a single sheep. The town of Oxford still 
owes me for a portion of a flock that I had been years in growing 
up so that I took some little pride in it. I shall never keep another 
sheep until the laws of our State offer me better protection, or 
until the loss falls uniformly upon the dog-keeping people of the 
State, and not upon my own townspeople. You may think this 
queer talk for the president of an association chartered by the 
State for the advancement of sheep breeding, but it is idle to 
mince matters. Sheep breeding will not advance in this State 
until there is better protection from domestic wolves, and this 
protection will not come until the farmers of Connecticut say that 
it must. 
“Domestic wolves”! That is a good name for the 
four-footed pirates who have so fawned on their 
owners that they have produced a set of men caring 
more for dog than they do for decency ! Don’t blame 
the dogs—blame the dog men ! 
© 
A PARCEL post for the carrying of dairy and poultry 
products, fruits, vegetables, etc., at low rates, is 
being discussed in England. The mails there are al¬ 
ready much more largely used for the transportation 
of merchandise tfian in this country, general parcels 
not exceeding 20 pounds being carried at about the 
same rates as in this country. The parcels post is a 
system by itself, although being conducted in con¬ 
junction with the regular letter mail. If these other 
products are admitted at special low rates, what a 
boon it will be, especially to the poorer classes, in 
the way of cheaper food. If this Government owned 
the transportation routes, instead of the transporta¬ 
tion routes apparently owning the Government, such 
an arrangement might be among the possibilities in 
this country. Then the farmer in the interior with a 
small surplus of eggs, butter, or fruits, could send to 
the city dweller, at a small expense, just what he so 
much needs, but cannot afford, under present con¬ 
ditions, to purchase. In connection with free rural 
mail delivery, this would effect almost an economic 
revolution. 
© 
We have constantly reminded our readers that pedi¬ 
greed stock is just now as low in price gis the average 
man of middle age can ever hope to see it. “ Blood ” 
is now being sold at a bargain. This is true not only 
of live stock, but of potatoes. There never was a 
better time to invest a dollar in improved varieties of 
potatoes. The price is low, and thousands of barrels 
of choice seed will be sold for less than the price of 
eating potatoes in average years. A change of seed 
—even the same variety you now plant brought from 
another locality—will give you excellent results. We 
advise you to take advantage of the low prices for 
seed, and stock up with new “blood ” this season. At 
the prices now being quoted, there should be the 
heaviest transfer of seed stock ever known in this 
country. Many growers are apprehensive for the 
next crop—made so by the disappointing prices of 
this year. They must remember that the present crop 
cannot be stored for another season. It is not like 
grain. By July, it will be all gone, and there is not 
one chance in five that the combination of conditions 
that prevailed this year will occur again in a decade. 
Many of the speculative growers will reduce their area 
this year ; but our advice to the general farmer is to 
grow about the same area as usual, and do his best 
with improved varieties and good culture to produce 
a full crop. 
O 
Some years ago, the high price of sugar and the 
immense sums paid by this country for imported 
sweets, prompted all sorts of experiments with 
American sugar-producing plants. At that time, 
some enthusiasts went so far as to claim that within 
a few years Kansas would produce vast quantities of 
sorghum sugar, and greatly reduce the quantity 
brought from other countries. These dreams have 
all failed. In 1894, this country imported 4,345,193,881 
pounds of sugar—more than in any former year, and 
at a lower price. Only one sorghum sugar factory 
was operated last year. The best factory in Kansas, 
which cost $110,000, was sold recently, under fore¬ 
closure, for $9,480. Sorghum-sugar making does not 
pay ; but according to the Kansas Farmer, there is a 
chance that another new industry may partly take its 
place. That is the manufacture of tannic acid from 
canaigre. This plant, called by some, wild rhubarb, 
contains an average of 25 per cent of tannic acid. It 
grows wild in Arizona and New Mexico, but experi¬ 
ments have shown that it will thrive and yield large 
crops when cultivated. The supplies of bark for 
tanning purposes are running short, and tannic acid, 
which is the chief principle employed in turning hides 
into leather, bids fair to have a high commercial 
value. It is now proposed to use the deserted sugar 
factories for working up the canaigre root. Here is 
a case where bitterness yields more profit than 
sweets. It matters little so long as a profitable indus¬ 
try is provided for farmers of the Far West. 
© 
Last year, Mr. Woodbridge Strong gave an account 
of his experiments with growing potatoes under a 
mulch. It appears from Mr. Miller’s statement, page 
34, that farmers on the river bottoms near St. Louis, 
have been for some years-working this plan out in 
successful field culture. During the past year, a 
number of our readers in various parts of the country, 
have tried this plan—generally with success. The 
failures with this system are usually due to the use 
of too thick a covering of straw or manure, or plant¬ 
ing on land that is not properly drained. From our 
own experiment last year, we conclude that all culti¬ 
vation may be dispensed with if a suitable mulch is 
used. The amount of hand-weeding required will, 
of course, depend on the condition of the ground 
previous to planting the potato crop. Mr. Miller 
estimates the cost of producing an acre of straw pota¬ 
toes at from $30 to $36. The quality of these pota¬ 
toes, he says, is excellent, and they have a sure 
reputation in the St. Louis market. This method 
cannot be recommended for all sections of the coun¬ 
try without reserve, but a fair trial of it wherever 
straw or other mulching material is cheap, is a legiti¬ 
mate part of farm enterprise. Says Mr. Miller: 
To experiment, is to keep out of ruts ; ruts meau stagnation 
and rust; experiments also create and stimulate enthusiasm, 
which is the only artificial fertilizer we need at present in this 
county. With a littleinore enthusiasm, we may bring from $10,000 
to $40,000 more into this county for the potato crop without add¬ 
ing more acres and very little if any more money or labor. 
There are a good many sections where “artificial fer¬ 
tilizers arc needed, but even with them, this sort of 
“ enthusiasm” will not come amiss. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
Here is a story you may use when next 
You preach a sermon and would have a text. 
Only be sure you work the moral in— 
A darkey had a dog, long-legged and thin, 
With nothing big about him but his tail ; 
“ I’ll cut dat off,” said Cuffee, “without fail 
’Fer wid no tail he ain’t so apt to show 
Dat he ain’t miffin’ but a cur.” And so, 
A streak of talse com passion in his soul, 
Instead of cutting at one slice, the whole. 
Each week he cut away an inch or more 
To make the dog "get used to it” before 
He lost his tail. No need for me to go 
And rub the moral in, you ought to know 
That you snip off your faults in just that style. 
You don’t go to the roof—but, all the while, 
Go snipping inch by inch and never fail 
To feel the pain the whole length of the tail. 
Watch the little thinks. 
A clean shave is a cut away hair row. 
A big thing—the solution of that sour soil problem. 
The grip of a lawyer isn't a legal tender—it’s a legal tough. 
Which would you rather be, a “fossil” or a “fanatic”—or both V 
We want a little of your ink dropped on that spraying question 
—page 36. 
Family matters are down to bed rock when the baby sleeps in 
the cradle. 
Do we advise you to fortify yourself with spirit? It depends 
upon the spirit ! 
Wonder how your wife -would like her valentine this year in the 
shape of dry stove wood ! 
The application of that nose-board, page 37, will stop the cow 
from boarding on herself. 
Good “blood” is cheap—so let the scrub retire, and give your 
future calves a nobler sire. 
All large bodies are made up of atoms. Big results are made 
of many small “up and at ’ems.” 
“ Chronic rootbreaker ! ” That’s the latest name for the man 
who “rides on the cultivator handles.” 
Forty degrees ! What about it ? That’s a good temperature 
in which to keep apples, potatoes, sheep and hogs. 
The first farmers’ institute held in a town-generally has a good 
effect. Why is it that the second and third ones are not usually 
so good ? 
We have a number of questions as to the value of pop corn for 
poultry food. It differs but little from other corn in composition, 
and is not worth more for feeding. 
New Year’s advice to the poultryinau. Ring out old hens, ring 
youth on deck, ring out the frost that nips the comb, ring cleanli¬ 
ness in Biddy’s home and wring the surplus rooster’s neck. 
If the hens’ combs become frozen, anoint them with sweet oil 
and vaseline. A coating of the latter will often prevent the freez¬ 
ing. A hen with a frozen comb is unprofitable, as she generally 
refuses to lay until it is healed. 
Let a man become interested in figuring out a feeding ratiou 
from the table of analyses, and the first thing he will prove to 
himself, is the fact that good clover hay saves grain. You can’t 
possibly dodge that fact when you compare a ratiou made up 
with clover and one without it. 
